The present invention relates to a thermal printing apparatus.
Thermal printers are well known in the art wherein a thermal head is pressed against a platen roller via a sheet to print an image thereon. In order to release heat generated due to operation or energization of the thermal head, the thermal head is provided on its back side with a heat radiating fin. The thermal head pivotally moves around a shaft to be in and out of contact with the platen roller. Upon printing, the thermal head is sufficiently heated so that an image is printed on the sheet. Heat generated in the thermal head is radiated by the heat radiating fin within a housing of the apparatus. An example of such printing apparatus is shown in Japanese Utility Model Application First Publication No. 62-45145.
However, such a known printing apparatus employs a motor-driven cooling fan or the like in order to exhaust air, heated due to the heat radiation, from the apparatus housing. Therefore, the apparatus has a sufficiently large size to accommodate the cooling fan or the like therein, resulting in high manufacturing costs.
An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal printing apparatus which has a relatively small size but effects a high radiation efficiency.